That I knew well. “Don’t allow her to criticize you too harshly. You did excellent today.”
“It won’t be long. Just a few minutes.” Emma got dressed, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and darted off. I rolled over on my side and waited for her to return.
Fifteen minutes passed. I slipped my clothes back on, wondering if I should go looking for her. More time passed, and I began to worry where she was, before an alarming note surged across our bond. It was petrified, full of fear.
Ethan! Emma’s voice surged across our bond, before a sudden strike of pain flashed across my left knee. I cried out, and my hand shot down to my thigh as I felt a sharp and heavy pain strike across it.
I grabbed at my leg, before I realized it wasn’t there— I’d lost it years ago to the leshane. The pain was resonating through myprosthetic—
No, it wasn’t the prosthetic. That didn’t make any sense. I couldn’t feel something that wasn’t there. I was completely fine.
Which meant my mate was not.
I smelled blood— and it wasn’t coming from around me. It was Emma’s, floating through our bond and overpowering my senses until I felt sick. Emma’s agony surged through our bond, pressing in as she desperately cried out for me.
Hold on,onawilke.I’m coming.
She gave only a pitiful wail of anguish in response.
I couldn’t change into a wolf, not around humans, so I took off on two legs. Everyone’s head jerked to the side as I darted out of the suite and into the hallway.
I wasn’t sure where she was, but I had our bond. I followed it by instinct, feeling more and more frail with each step.
I rounded a corner. The first thing I saw was the blood— broken bones, Emma’s gnarled leg. Her green eyes twisted in pain as she stared out at the beyond, and guilt— horrible guilt— caused me to fall to my knees beside her.
“Ethan,” she whispered. “Please. F-fix it.”
I wish I could. But I knew this couldn’t be fixed. A singular tear ran down her face, and I had no doubt as to who could be so cruel.
I knew she would live. But with a heart wrenching, painful look at what had been done, I was certain beyond a shadow that her dream… was over.
Chapter Fourteen
Emma
Iwalked down a deserted hallway of the hotel. I didn’t understand why Magdalina wanted to talk right this moment— it’d be better to evaluate my performance at my next practice, when we could start working on correcting things.
But perhaps she was excited to start preparing for the Olympics. I sure was. I got a giddy feeling that rose in my chest whenever I thought about it. I couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across my face. Tears always rose to my eyes, and I was unable to force them down. I’d finally achieved my dream, after so many years of hard work. After all the competitions, the losses, and the trials, I’d be skating for my country in the most prestigious event in the world. I could hardly wait to get my blades on that ice.
The hallway was long. Why did she ask to meet me down here? I waited by the end of the corridor, but she hadn’t yet shown up.
As the minutes lengthened, I began to get anxious. Lady Magdalina was always on time. Something was wrong.
There was a shadow at the end of the hallway. I took a step closer, to get a better look, and immediately wished I hadn’t.
A figure emerged into the light. It was a stranger— my magic could sense he was a shifter. In one hand, he held a pistol, which he slowly raised to aim at me.
Cold ran through my blood. Lady Magdalina hadn’t summoned me here. Someone had stolen her phone and sent me a message, to get me alone.
The shifter fired the gun, and a dart flew out of it. The dart soared across the room and landed in my side. I let out a gasp of pain as I felt the needle pierce the skin, and instantly, I began growing weak.
I knew what it was— noxite. The only thing that could take away a supernatural’s powers.
The noxite rushed through my bloodstream, taking away my magic and leaving me totally defenseless. I almost sank to my knees with how helpless the noxite made me. I put a hand on the wall, trying to steady myself. I knew I had to run, but I couldn’t move. It was like the noxite had rendered my limbs useless, too.
Ethan! I cried out through our bond. I felt his alarm at once, surging through to me.
The shifter tossed the gun aside, and ran forward. In one bound, he changed into a wolf. He rushed toward me so quickly I didn’t have time to scream. I attempted to turn, but before I could, the shifter had opened his jaws. He latched his fangs down on my left knee. White-hot, blinding torture rushed through my leg, and I screamed aloud.
